as in hijinks
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
their madcap buffoonery turned the duo into the nation's hottest comedy act
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Recent Examples of buffoonery
The quarterback with a rocket arm had moments of brilliance and moments of buffoonery.
—
Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 May 2025
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
Certainly, an irreverent portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte is warranted, but at two and a half hours of alternating brutality and buffoonery, this movie really tries one’s patience.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Jim Reineking, USA Today, 6 May 2025
His is a sort of erudite buffoonery that consistently tap-dances between clever, self-aware, and patently stupid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
There is, in fact, real stagecraft along with the buffoonery.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2025
Certainly, an irreverent portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte is warranted, but at two and a half hours of alternating brutality and buffoonery, this movie really tries one’s patience.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for buffoonery
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buffoonery
Noun
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Finally, after plenty of clowning, Taylor Swift has revealed that her 12th album is on the way, titled The Life of a Showgirl.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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When Peanut pulled his second escape act, his owners knew where to look and handled Peanut's disappearance in a joking manner.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Multiple outlets that examined the reporting identified the claim as unverified and labeled the story a hoax; Colbert had previously made a joking on-air reference to streaming platforms but had not announced any deal with Netflix.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Be careful and look out for more of your mom's tomfoolery.—
Charna Flam,
People.com,
25 Aug. 2025
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For instance, in between Avi’s 2004 plane ride that starts the episode’s main arc and its last-second flash-forward to 2022, the premiere revels in the rapid wordplay of a gentile girlfriend meeting a vibrant Jewish family and the general tomfoolery of a jubilant bar mitzvah.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
22 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As for Abdul-Mateen, the clownery will resume for him on Broadway.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2022
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
Noun
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Butch Baker, who was Henry County sheriff until 2014, recalled an incident in which Bertram was accused of inappropriate horseplay at the community corrections office.—
Tony Cook,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2022
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Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.—
Stanislav Budnitsky,
The Conversation,
19 Apr. 2022
Noun
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This new film is a very black comedy that is also a heist story with some bloody violence, along with a bit of knockabout slapstick and a theme of family bonds.—
Caryn James,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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Cartuna launched its distribution arm last year with a focus on Blu-ray discs, among them the period slapstick comedy Hundreds of Beavers.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Her rats' playfulness motivated her and eased feeling of loneliness, while her cats' soothing weight on her chest calmed her anxiety.—
Quinn Clark,
jsonline.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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The film is alive with stylistic playfulness.—
Leila Latif,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Buffoonery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buffoonery. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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